Hopkinton, Mass. First Congregational Church

Collection History

The Church of Christ in Hopkinton first gathered on September 2, 1724. The church began with 14 members and by the end of the first ministry, the church had 376 members. The First Parish of Hopkinton was organized in 1827, and The Church of Christ of Hopkinton was incorporated in 1895 and reincorporated in 1928.

The church's first meeting house was raised in December of 1725. In 1731 the church voted to observe the Cambridge Platform of Church Discipline, which meant adopting a congregational form of governance. In 1829 the meeting house was sold, and a new church building was built. However, this building was destroyed by a fire in 1882. A new edifice was built in the same location and dedicated in 1883. This building was also destroyed by a hurricane in 1938. The fourth building was constructed in the same location in 1939. On October 2, 1994 the congregation voted to leave the United Church of Christ due to theological differences. In 1997, the current church building was constructed in order to accommodate expanding membership. In September 2011 the name of the church was officially changed to Faith Community Church. They are still active today. More information can be found on their website.

Included in these records are confessions of faith; church meeting minutes; reports; and lists of marriages, baptisms, deaths, and dismissions.

Digital Materials

This volume is primarily comprised of a year-by-year history of the town from 1708 until 1859. Events noted in each year include a list of town citizens prior to 1730, petitions, the activities of notable residents, genealogical information, deaths, appointments to the church, the church’s finances, and major church or town events. Other material includes newspaper clippings and some loose correspondence.

Materials in this volume include a copy of the church covenant, births, marriages, baptisms, deaths, admissions, dismissions, church meeting minutes, correspondence, and the selection and installation of pastors.

This volume is comprised of a copy of the church covenant, confessions of faith, church meeting minutes, admissions, baptisms, dismissions, marriages, deaths, excommunications, and ministers' ordinations. There is a table of contents at the front of the volume.

Material in this volume includes ecclesiastical council notes, pastor installations, church meeting minutes, committee meeting notes, officer lists, monthly and annual church conference minutes, committee reports, a church manual with the confession of faith revised in 1856, resolutions on the topic of temperance, correspondence, financial records, and disciplinary case records.

This is a legal contract from the Hopkinton parish to build a meetinghouse for the church in 1829.

Relations, 1799-1830

This is a collection of personal records from the church comprised of relations, written accounts of individuals' religious experience that were often required in the process of applying for full membership. They are organized alphabetically by last name.